The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) is pursuing an injunction against the head of an Ohio company that manufactures 55-gallon drums. The company was recently sentenced for failing to provide appropriate insurance coverage for workers' compensation claims. If successful, the Ohio BWC's injunction against the man would require him to halt his company's operations until it meets the necessary workers' compensation standards and repays the more than $600,000 it owes to the BWC.
This is first such injunction the Ohio BWC has pursued. An official with the bureau justified the BWC's decision, explaining that the man in question has demonstrated a clear indifference to the workers' compensation law and the welfare of his company's employees.
In Ohio, employers must make biannual premium payments in order to provide injured employees with their lost wages. If the company does not pay, any injured workers are covered by the BWC, but the employer must eventually pay the costs of the claims.
The BWC claims to have sent the company's head three letters notifying him of his company's lapsed status and warning him of the consequences if he did not pay the owed amount. The state's Attorney General Collections unit was also attempting to collect money owed for two previous lapsed policies.
Earlier in the year, the man pleaded no contest to two counts of failure to comply with workers' compensations regulations. He was sentenced to one year of active probation, 90 days of suspended incarceration and 80 hours of community service.
Employers have the responsibility of not only providing a safe work environment for their employees but also providing them with workers' compensation should they be injured on the job. For those who are having difficulty obtaining workers' compensation, seeking experienced legal advice may be helpful.
Source: Cleveland.com, "Pepper Pike man faces workers' compensation injunction," Faith Boone, 24 June 2011